Dementia Risk May Rise as Air Quality Worsens
Exposure to particulate matter smaller than 2.5 microns in diameter (PM2.5) was associated with increased risk of dementia, a meta-analysis suggested. Across 14 studies that assessed PM2.5, the overall risk of dementia rose by 4% (HR 1.04, 95% CI 0.99-1.09) for every 2 μg/m3 increase in average annual PM2.5 concentration, according to Marc Weisskopf, PhD, […]
Long-Term Exposure to Extreme Temps Tied to Newborn Lung Function
Long-term exposure to heat and cold from the second trimester to 4 weeks after birth was associated with lung function among female newborns, according to a French population-based cohort study. Specifically, long-term heat and cold exposure were associated with decreased functional residual capacity (FRC) and increased respiratory rate, while only long-term cold exposure was linked […]
Phthalates Exposure Tied to Higher Incidence of Type 2 Diabetes in White Women
Exposure to phthalates — a type of endocrine-disrupting chemical — was linked with a higher incidence of type 2 diabetes among women, but only those who were white, researchers reported. In a study of over 1,300 women without diabetes, certain phthalate metabolites were associated with a higher incidence of diabetes during 6-year follow-up in a […]
Not Just a Miner’s Problem: Workplace Fumes, Dust Tied to RA
Adding to previous studies implicating on-the-job exposure to silica dust as a risk factor for rheumatoid arthritis (RA), new research now finds dozens of other occupational inhalants that also appear to contribute to RA development. Comparison of 4,033 cases of new-onset RA with 6,485 matched controls in Swedish registries indicated that exposure to any of […]
Extreme heat exposure worsens child malnutrition
Exposure to extreme heat increases both chronic and acute malnutrition among infants and young children in low-income countries — threatening to reverse decades of progress, Cornell University research finds. Linking survey and geocoded weather data over more than 20 years, a study of more than 32,000 West African children ages 3-36 months found that average […]
Does Prenatal Opioid Analgesic Exposure Affect Kids’ Scholastic Outcomes?
Prenatal exposure to opioid analgesics had no substantial impact on the scholastic skills of children by the time they reached fifth grade, findings from a nationwide Norwegian birth cohort suggested. Compared to children of mothers whose only exposures to opioids were prior to pregnancy, children exposed in the first trimester and those exposed in two […]
Immunological memory provides long-term protection against coronavirus
Exposure to SARS-CoV-2 by infection or vaccination generates immune cells that provide long-term immunity. These long-lived memory T cells play a key role in preventing severe cases of Covid-19. Researchers at the University of Zurich have now discovered how these memory T cells form. Many questions about how exposure to SARS-CoV-2 by infection or immunization […]
Repeated exposure to major disasters has long-term mental health impacts
Repeated exposure to major disasters does not make people mentally stronger, a recent study from the Texas A&M University School of Public Health found: individuals who have been repeatedly exposed to major disasters show a reduction in mental health scores. Additionally, the research team found that the more experience the individuals had with such events, […]
What Are the 5 Signs of PTSD? 4 Phases, Symptoms, Treatment
The 5 signs of PTSD include exposure, intrusion symptoms, avoidance, altered mood, and altered reactivity. Symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can have a significant effect on your daily life. They usually appear within the first month of a traumatic event. However, in a small percentage of cases, symptoms may not appear for months or […]
Morning exposure to deep red light improves declining eyesight
Just three minutes of exposure to deep red light once a week, when delivered in the morning, can significantly improve declining eyesight, finds a pioneering new study by UCL researchers. Published in Scientific Reports, the study builds on the team’s previous work*, which showed daily three-minute exposure to longwave deep red light ‘switched on’ energy […]